The Kodiak moved low as to avoid sensor detection toward the landing coordinates. Her engines whined softly as she slowed upon approach. Dirt and smaller bits of debris swirled and scattered in the air as the shuttle touched down. The hatch opened and a team of three quickly evacuated the hull, crouching down behind a concrete barrier haphazardly laying across the path. They squinted their eyes against the dust hitting them, stinging their skin like millions of tiny needles. Shepard watched as the Kodiak lifted off the ground and soared out of sight. The heavy dregs settled quickly and Shepard took a look around at the refuse around them. The sky was a dull beige streaked with clouds the color of filth. Overhead a large dilapidated ship pass slowly by. Every where she looked there was decay and destruction, waste and old, crumbling structures. The smell was no worse than expected, and just as pungent in her nose. The dingy air was further tainted by a very pompous sounding woman.
"There is only one measure of success. Kill or be killed! Perfection is your goal!"
"Some one likes the sound of her voice." Shepard commented.
"I already wanna kill this person." Jack muttered.
Shepard cocked a brow and allowed herself a smirk. At least she wouldn't have to worry about Jack's loyalty on the mission. It seemed she'd found her own reason to succeed. Shepard glanced up at Kryik. The turian was busy loading his guns with incendiary rounds, ignoring the canned orders. Shepard nodded to the team and they left the barrier, winding their way down the path moving with military precision from cover to cover. The recordings continued to sound over the loud speakers.
"Being hired is merely the beginning. You must earn your place in the mighty army we are building!"
Shepard wondered how much of this crap there was before it cycled back to the beginning. It was getting annoying, fast. They rounded a corner and scaled a crumbling set of steps. Ahead there were more concrete barriers. These looked to be placed deliberately.
"Observation post. They know we're here." stated Kryik.
The team moved swiftly to cover behind the barriers. The Blue Suns mercs were ready for the fight. The SDA, plus one, was out numbered three to one. Kryik had a feeling this was going to be a small group compared to what lay ahead. He took a shot at a merc who popped out of cover to fire on Shepard. The merc had left his right side exposed and it was his undoing. The incendiary round burned through the weak spot in his armor, turning the merc to ash inside his suit.
Jack's biotics flared up around her as she sent a shock wave crashing across the battlefield, scattering the mercs into the air like confetti. Those that survived the fall suffered internal damage and drowned on their own blood while still trying to shoot.
However, one merc was pushed free of the blast by one of his brothers, who took the hit and died for his efforts. The one who was saved crawled away from the onslaught to lean against a makeshift wall. A bullet had hit him during the scuffle and the pain that stung his flesh radiated out from the wound. He didn't know if his friend survived. The thought barely registered as he cradled his wound and swore at the pain. Blood stained his armored fingers. Suddenly the fighting stopped. He glanced up in time to see three well armed people walking toward him, and they weren't krogan. Two women, one scantly clad and covered with tattoos, and a turian.
"Shit, shit! It won't stop bleeding. I'm gonna... son of a bitch!"
The merc complained in his weak attempt to flea. He managed to stagger to his feet before leaning against the wall again, grabbing at the pain.
"His wounds are superficial. Looks like we barely scratched him." Kryik scoffed.
"He doesn't need to know that." Shepard told him. Shepard approached the merc, pistol drawn. It was time to have a little fun.
"I knew it wasn't berserkers, not at range." The Blue Suns merc mentally kicked himself.
He hadn't known a damn thing, but he told himself he did. He glared at Shepard as she walked up to him, her gun in hand, but handing lax at her side.
"You're mercs... or Alliance! I'm not... I'm not tellin' you anything!" He spat.
"You're going to tell me what I want to know, and you're going to do it without a fuss." Shepard told him.
"Why the fuck would I do that?" the merc seethed.
"Because I can make the last few minutes of your worthless life the most agonizing of you've ever experienced. You think this little wound is painful?" Shepard prodded the scratch with the barrel of her gun, making the merc cringe. "I can make you feel that ten times worse. So suck it up, pansy. Talk."
"Okay, okay... I don't know anything. I just shoot the over flow from the labs." He pointed with his head in the direction of the main facility. "The old krogan up there, he's really been cleaning house lately. Jadore hired him to make her an army, but the krogan he creates are insane. So we use them for life ammo training. It's all crap. I don't get paid enough for this shit."
The merc looked up at her with wide eyes when his radio came to life with a demand for a status report and coordinates of the krogan group they were thought to have been fighting. Shepard didn't have time for anyone else's games. She leaned into his face, the barrel of her gun pressed firm and cold against his temple.
"I want your friends gone, you understand?" She said softly. Her dark eyes threatened him through the eye shield like a looming storm.
"Uh, patrol?" The merc nervously answered the call. "The last group... dispersed. Lost sight five minutes ago."
"Dispersed? Jadore will be pissed. She wanted a show." The voice on the radio said.
"You asked for a report, you got it! Dispersed!" The merc shouted back.
"Understood. Returning to the labs. Out."
"There, see? I'm helping." The merc muttered.
"If you start limping now, you might find a shady spot before you bleed out." Shepard smirked. She watched the merc limp away with mild amusement.
"Funny, he just about pissed himself." Jack laughed.
"The scare was a nice touch. He probably deserved that." Kryik mused.
"I thought so." Shepard nodded. "Let's go."
The merc shuffled off toward the bodies of his former team. He wanted to see if the one who'd pushed him out of the way was still alive. If he was, then they could die together. If he wasn't, there was no point in living anyway. The only reason he'd joined the Blue Suns was to follow James. He always followed James, ever since they were kids. They'd stayed best friends even after high school. Started at the same university together, shared an apartment. That's when things changed, when they realized they were more interested in each other than class or girls. Failing college in James' mind left only one option. Mercenary work. Plus, no one fucks with the 'fag' carrying a big gun. They kept their private life private. No one cared enough to harass them, as long as they followed orders. Aaron found his best friend on the ground near the back of the small outpost. His breathing was shallow. A trail of blood stained the corner of his mouth and ran across his cheek, but he was still alive.
"James! James, it's gonna be okay. It's gonna be okay, right?"
Aaron fell to the ground next to his lover. He cupped the stubbly skin of James' cheek in his hand, running a thumb over the strong cheek bone. James lazily opened his eyes. They were glazed over and distant.
"A.. Aaron?" He coughed. "Wha... What are you doing? Get outta here!"
"No, I'm not goin' anywhere. If we're gonna die I want to do it together." Aaron replied.
"What are you talking about? You're fine, ya pansy!" James answered with a hoarse tease. He knew he wasn't going to make it. He could feel his body giving up.
"It's just a scratch. You wont bleed out." James offered a weak punch to the arm.
"Then I'm going to get help." Aaron said, decidedly.
He started to get up when James weakly grabbed his arm. Their used to be so much strength in that hand. The lack of it there now told Aaron more than the blood pooling under James' torso.
"They'll never get here in time. Just go." James coughed again, spraying blood on the grimy ground.
Aaron resolved to stay. If James did die, it shouldn't be alone. He sat back down and scooted over to rest his back against the wall. Ignoring the pain, he lifted James into his arms and held him. In the distance more gunfire sounded. The intruders were advancing, but that somehow seemed unimportant now.
"Then I'm staying with you. The intruders are movin' on. You're not gonna do this alone." Aaron said sternly.
James answered only with a weak smile. It took all his remaining strength to touch the freckled face that looked down at him. Aaron was always there for him, following him everywhere, even when he'd gone gallivanting off to join a mercenary brotherhood. He worried about what his lover would do when he was gone.
"Aaron, when I'm gone... promise me you wont' do anything stupid." James croaked.
"Yeah, anything you say." Aaron answered, blinking back tears.
"Swear it!" James demanded.
"I swear." Aaron answered, biting his tongue against anything that would deserve a slap in the face. He took James' hand in his as it fell from his face.
James grinned and relaxed in Aaron's arms. His breath grew more ragged and he coughed up more blood. The end would come soon enough. James kept his eyes locked on Aaron's face, but the gaze went in and out of focus. His skin was pale due to the loss of blood and internal damage. His lips parted one last time.
"Aaron..." James whispered up at him.
"I'm here."
"I love you. I think... I think I always have." James smiled through a cough.
"Man, don't do this."
As much as he wanted to hear it, he didn't want to hear it like this. The fist time and the last time to have James confess the truth in words, and it had to be on his death bed. Go fucking figure.
"Goddamn it".Aaron swore then gave in. "I love you too."
James died in the next breath. Aaron kissed the still warm lips of his lover, then settled his best friend's head on his lap and pulled out his pistol. He didn't stop to think about it. Damn the promise to hell. What the fuck was he supposed to do without James? Sure he could function without him, but it wouldn't be life. He put the barrel to his temples and followed James, as he'd always done, into the oblivion beyond this life.
